The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1887-04-09

fault in her work, and she is treated
by her cruel taskmaster like the YER
liable slave she is.
! If the domestic servants work is
not satisfactory she may be told of it,
and 1t is possible that a long-sutfering
employer may lose self control and
get angry, considering that she is
only human, and express her anger;
but exceptional indeed must be the
lady who speaks to dependent as
women are spoken to in factories and
stores. If directions are given, it is
usually done with a studious and
generally sympathetic regard for her
susceptlbllitles. Her days work
would be long, if she were working
from the time she builds her fire in
the morning, shortly after six, till
she washes dishes at seven in the
evening; but this is far from being
the case. If she is single handed in
the family, on washing and ironing
day she may work the whole day, as
she would do if she were the mother
OF family, without any of the aids
to work she has in service; but on
other days there are hours of leisure
which largely depend on her own
activity and ability. In these days
the housework is all comparatively
light, for there is no scrubbing of
floors to snowy whiteness, no carry
ing OF hot and cold water up three
or four flights Of stairs, and very
little carrying of Goals. Moreover,
her work has that excellent quality
OF variety, and rarely is there any rush
or drive, unless her own mismanage-
ment makes her waste time on part of
the day, which she must make up the
| other.
Of course employers cannot always
be well-to-do; many are forced to live
plainly, although the characteristic of
American house keeping is profusion of
food; but where poverty is, the en-
ployer shares it. Yet under the least
favorable conditions the food is very
different from the bread and tea of the
needlewoman, and the cases are rare
when it is not abundant, and not far
better in quality than even the we'll to-
do of her own class would provide for
themselves.
In addition to the leisure she has
through the day, she goes to mass on
Sunday morning, no matter how incon-
venient it may be to the family with
whom she lives-that is for them to
consider, not her. She has, in the city,
every other Sunday afternoon and even
ing; she has an evening out in the
week and outside of these stipulated
times any reasonable desire for time is
complied with. In the country she has
even more leisure.
We may admit, for the sake of argu-
ment, that there are places where the
servant is scantily fed, and overworked,
and despltefully treated. Probably
where one occurs there will be all three
forms of i'll usage, but the employers in
such case will be coarse, uneducated |
people, almost invariably those who
have known hard life and hard work
themselves (for this is one of the cases
in which tellow-feeling does not engen-
der wondrous kindness, for no employer
is SO hard as the ci-de1ant employee, |
and is by no means type of even the
less cultivated American family. But
with vacant places all round her there
is no reason for girl to remain IN such |
a place, and we may be very sure she |
would not do so. She is in so free and |
independent position that leaving a
place has no terors for her, as it would |
have for her salared employer. Per
chance she knows she need not remain |
a day idle. She has no need to fear
for the future SO long as she has health,
and she works in nearly every case un-
der the most favorable conditions for
health. They differ somewhat, of course,
in various parts of the country, but in
all parts, in private families, the average
maid servant is we'll housed, well fed,
well paid, and not overworKed.
Of course there are restraints in SER
vice, as in every other work by which |
money is made, and some of the most
Objectionable to the servant herself,
such as having to be in the house at a
reasonable hour, the inability to go out
every night, etc, are such as mother
would impose on her daughter, or wish
for her wherever she might place her.
1t is unfortunately true in this day and
generation, as in all that have gone be-
fore, that there is no way of earning a
living, or even of conscientiously doing
our life part, without giving up some of
our liberty and our time; but of all
ways by which a working woman can
make her living there is not one by
which she can do it SO easily, SO indie
pendently, and so beautifully as in do
nestle service.-Ha,per' S BaSy.